Found a new lever!


Working on my first book I focussed a lot on the basics of grappling, but have far from exhausted the subject.

Most techniques I have explained used a manipulation of the wrist or leg. One other lever I did give brief attention to was the philtrum- the spot right at the bottom of the nose.  



In Judo our opponent wears a gi with a belt, sleeves and lapels that can be grabbed. In actual fights outside the dojo (which you should of course not actively pursue) we do not have those handholds. We dn't have rules either.

Last night- surfing Youtube- my attention was brought to the head. This is how it happened:

I have recently learnt Gojushiho Sho from my Sensei. For those of you that don't study Japanese Karate this is a kata that is taught at senior level. It is officially the most advanced kata I know. I have supplied a link to a video of this awesome kata below:


https://youtu.be/FxyScLnqdIg


You will notice the quick open hand thrusts that make up a large part of the kata. I got told that these were 

spear hand strikes and a quick escape from having your wrist grabbed while attacking. 


I have come to take explanations like that with a pinch of salt. A guideline I use in analyzing kata is that a situation or application that is not likely to appear in a real fight should get excluded. When developing or uncovering bunkai, in other words, you have to find a real problem that is likely to occur to which the move is a practical solution.

Not able to come up with answers on my own I have consulted the most reliable source of Bunkai I know in this day and age. No- Not Youtube!

Sensei Iain Abernethy!

https://youtu.be/9qK6FeYWP64

Now is this move badass or what?!!

I was excited, scared, in awe and respectful all at once when I saw this application!

Back to my topic now. In Aikido and Judo you may get to learn a lot of wrist holds, locks and throws that start with grabbing a limb, but the head can actually turn the whole body. 

As the kata application shows you would of course have to clear all hazardous limbs out of the way, but once the stance is broken- by either causing the opponent's hips to get pushed out to the rear or by having the opponent bent over backwards like Iain shows we apply pressure to the side of the jaw while pulling the other side or back of the head towards us. Pressure against the mandible in this way is sure to get the head to turn.

Although I love kicking and punching a grappling move like this is definitely not to be refused. 

Now I have yet another kata for morning practice and an awesome move to work on with the next self defence class.



That's what is cooking over here. Keep posting and train well!


Today I have copied a whole lot of pages from my book. Who has been collecting the other pages so far?


 








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